Chapter: 94
After a long while, Princess Isis, who had been teasing me in the publisher’s parlor, finally left.
I leaned back on the couch in the parlor, closing my eyes to catch a breath. I had no idea how much time had passed when I heard the familiar sound of the door opening.
“Mr. Writer! Your guest has left.”
“Oh, yes. Thank you, boss.”
That was President Kindersley.
When I first saw her, she looked like a somewhat clumsy young entrepreneur, but now she had the air of a seasoned businesswoman about her.
I suppose quite a bit of time has gone by, after all.
Thinking back, it’s been a long time—I’ve been working with her since Don Quixote was published… over ten years now.
Yet, she was still doing the same things as before, which made me chuckle a bit. Back then too, there was a prince showing up out of the blue, and I remember sweating bullets in the parlor, just like now…
“President.”
“Yes?”
“Your publishing house has certainly grown.”
“Well, haha, it’s the publishing house that discovered that ‘Homer’ author, after all. Didn’t I say Don Quixote would be the ‘Bible’ and Homer the ‘God’?”
“Oh right, I think I remember that. I thought you were being a bit overdramatic back then, though…”
In the end, it turned out I wasn’t the one who was right—President Kindersley was.
Even though I was aware of the value of immortal classics, I think I still harbored some doubts about the power of literature. I couldn’t help it, what with all my memories from South Korea weighing me down.
But in the end, Don Quixote has become the ‘Bible of literature’ even in this world.
As long as the Bible is immortal, it has become a language that will not disappear. It gave me confidence in the ‘power of literature.’
As a translator who has devoted my life to literature, this felt incredibly gratifying.
Translators are really just a bunch of silly folks wanting to prove that the ‘art’ of literature is universal and transcends time and culture. So seeing it work in another world is a delightful surprise.
I wondered how Kindersley interpreted my laughter, and she mischievously laughed as she explained the latest issue.
“Lately, I can’t tell you how many complaints I’ve received about people not being able to sleep at night because of ‘Monkey’s Paw’!”
“Really? I don’t think ‘Monkey’s Paw’ is that scary of a story…”
“It’s not necessarily just from reading ‘Monkey’s Paw,’ you see.”
“Huh?”
“There have been loads of horror shorts coming out lately in the newspapers, all inspired by ‘Monkey’s Paw.’ Newspapers are just so accessible, it causes a bit of chaos.”
“Oh, I see.”
Hmm?
“But are they really complaining to our publishing house?”
“Haha… apparently, they are.”
“Sounds like a tough time for you.”
“It’s fine! I’m doing it because I enjoy it anyway. Hehe.”
The literary market has evolved so much that if I just plagiarized a classic and published it, people wouldn’t fall head over heels for it like they used to.
The world is wide, and there are plenty of books to read.
Honestly, I would have felt despair if the only reading material available was just the classics I plagiarized.
But still, the novels I end up plagiarizing have a huge impact on literature in this world as well. It goes beyond being just a ‘work’; it actually creates genres and trends.
That’s why I think this weird situation arose.
“President Kindersley, have you ever thought about expanding into pulp fiction or newspapers?”
“Well… yes.”
“Why? Considering the influence you have in the publishing market, it seems odd not to expand.”
“That’s because I’m a book collector…”
“Oh.”
Not just an avid reader, but a bibliophile.
Someone who loves to collect books. Not satisfied with merely reading in libraries; they have to keep and collect those books on their own shelves to feel fulfilled.
That probably explains why he had reservations about cheap newspapers and pulp fiction.
“They say paper wear out, but stories last forever… I wish my favorite sentences would remain in their original forms forever… I want to capture the shape of the printed words, a drop of ink, a single sheet of paper, and if possible, the scent of the hardcover… so that I could forever relive my feelings.”
“I get that.”
“Ah! Speaking of capturing, I completely forgot—I needed to consult you about something, Mr. Writer.”
“What is it?”
Suddenly clapping his hands, Kindersley stumbled over his words as he explained.
“A theater troupe has approached me about adapting your work into a script for performance.”
“Hmm? Didn’t you leave all that publication agreement stuff to your boss? You could’ve handled it however you wanted…”
“Well, it’s… a slightly different type of contract than we normally deal with.”
“What?”
“I’m not really familiar with this field, so I thought it best if you took a look at it yourself.”
.
.
.
“My name is Mac, the White Wizard, and I’m the one who runs the Philadelphian Theater.”
“Oh, uh, yes. But a white wizard? Aren’t theaters usually run by purple wizards?”
“Ah. The theater I manage isn’t a ‘magic theater’… it’s not very well-known because it’s not as popular as magic theaters… it’s a new form of performance called ‘movies.'”
“Oh.”
It sounded like he was talking about a cinema using projectors to display films.
The White Tower wizard was passionately explaining about movies, raising his voice.
“I truly believe this ‘movie’ is the future of art! It may not attract audiences at the moment, but surely the day will come when they recognize its charm!”
“Isn’t that movie… better than a magical play?”
In this world, ‘magical theater’ provided an immersive experience that surpassed the 4DX films of my past life.
In my experience, the ‘magical theater’ here was even more engaging and captivating than films from my previous life.
“Of course! First off, once you shoot it, you don’t have to put actors on stage each time, increasing long-term profitability. And with film, you can view the same footage anywhere, which offers great distribution benefits.”
“Huh.”
“And while theater is a ‘performing art,’ film is a ‘screening art.'”
“Oh.”
“Those who enjoy theater say that the connection between the audience and actors is the essence of ‘performing art’, but I believe that art should be eternal. An unchanging value, the most beautiful moment of life, a masterpiece created through countless hours… and to remove it from the flow of time and display it for all to see… isn’t that the very essence of ‘art’ worth dedicating your life to?”
As soon as the man concluded his speech, I understood.
This man.
He’s my kind of person.
“Wouldn’t it be a shame if some of life’s most valuable moments melted away into nothing but vague memories, revealed only in legends told by a handful of people?”
“Yes, that’s true…”
“I feel that sadness whenever I watch actors perform. It’s tragic that such beautiful performances can only be seen by the few hundred or thousands present in this theater. Isn’t that… excessively luxurious? When I saw the video cameras developed by the White Tower for observation, I thought, ‘This is the way!’ It’s a waste to use that kind of technology solely to record the crazed paths of wandering pedestrians! Those thoughts consumed my mind.”
Just as I became a translator, enchanted by the beauty of literature…
This man too, enchanted by the beauty of performance, became a theater director.
“That’s why I’m here to seek your permission. Existing plays have often been adapted from your works, but since ‘movies’ can be copied and reproduced, signing a contract tied to existing plays is problematic.”
“Hmm, yes.”
“That’s why I’d like to showcase our capabilities to you, particularly since we can now present them in color—”
“I don’t think I need to see it.”
“What?”
Perhaps misunderstanding my reply, the wizard began to fumble as he attempted to explain further.
I smiled and held out my hand to the wizard.
This was someone I could proudly support. Regardless of whether it’s literature or not, anybody with a love for ‘art’ deserves encouragement.
And after all, art is about mutual inspiration and support.
“I happen to have a suitable piece for that.”
The wizard, staring at my hand in a daze, promptly shook it as if jolted awake.
A famous fairy tale crossed my mind.
Along with ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ it’s the most renowned ‘fairy tale’ ever written, the one that birthed the timeless theme song “Over the Rainbow.”
A magnificent representation of fairy tale literature, defining ‘girls’ as its protagonists.
“Is there a chance that a black-and-white movie could be transitioned to color?”
“Oh, yes! While I’ve never done it, it should definitely be possible!”
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
It was time to spread the marketing strategy revolving around ‘simultaneous release of the movie and its original novel.’
.
.
.
[“A cyclone is approaching!”]
[And then, an incredible thing happened.]
[The house spun two or three times, and slowly began to ascend into the air; Dorothy felt as if she were ascending in a balloon.]
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